Appeal for restoration of decaying centuries-old monastery

“Join us and become part of a historic effort to turn the tide for Sourp Magar from decay to revival” Having survived centuries of occupation, catastrophes and vandalism, the oldest Armenian monastery in Europe is in dire need of restoration, its biggest enemy no longer bombs or fires, but human neglect and natural decay. The Sourp Magar monastery (Magaravank), nestled in the Halevka forest of the occupied northern part of Cyprus, sits silent waiting for rescuers to prevent further destruction, as a frail imbalance between heritage preservation and politics has prevented any repair work since 1974. Historically significant to the Armenians, who have had a presence on the island from the sixth century, the monastery, known in Greek as Armenomonastero, has played a central role in the community’s everyday life, particularly in the 19th century and more so in the 20th, as survivors of the Genocide fled across the sea from their historical lands in Cilicia, clearly visible from the Kyrenia mountain range. A few months ago, the Armenian Prelature of Cyprus created an adhoc committee to campaign for critical repair work to start in January 2027. “Sourp Magar is important not only to the Armenians and the diaspora, but to all of Cyprus, with its restoration of near urgency to Apostolos Andreas monastery, one of the most significant religious sites on the island,” said Parsy Zartarian, Chairman of the Sourp Magar Monastery Renovation Committee, addressing a public presentation in Nicosia on May 6. Apostolos Andreas on the northeastern tip of Cyprus, dedicated to Saint Andrew and built in the 12th century, was an active monastery in the late 19th and throughout the 20th centuries, but also fell into disrepair since the island’s division following the Turkish invasion in 1974. After years of arguments, and in some cases total disdain from the occupation forces, restoration work finally began with the personal involvement of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot religious leaders. Delays in the bi-communal work inflated the original cost from about 2 mln euros to 5.4 mln, to restore it to its current state of re-use as a pilgrimage centre and protect it from natural enemies, such as sea-related weather damage. This is why Zartarian, who is also a member of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage in Cyprus that has restored more than 200 mostly religious sites and monuments belonging to both communities since 2008, with EU finance and UNDP involvement, is calling for urgent funding for Sourp Magar. First phase He wants to kick-start critical repair work in January 2027, with the first phase of the monastery’s preservation estimated to cost about 1.5 mln euros, for which he already has pledges of 1 mln from institutional donors, so the current objective is to raise the balance of 500,000 euros. However, total restoration could cost closer to 5 mln euros, as 50 years of minimal access, and in some cases illegal interventions, has allowed fragile walls and roofs to collapse, vegetation growth has spread uncontrolled, and erosion from rains and seeping underground water sources have taken their toll on the buildings, damaging the foundations. “We urge stakeholders at every level: government agencies, international organisations, religious institutions, private foundations, and individuals of all backgrounds, to partner with us in any way possible. Your support through funding, expertise, or advocacy, is critical to our success,” said Archbishop Gomidas. “The monastery needs urgent action before it collapses and is lost forever,” he said. “Join us and become part of a historic effort to turn the tide for Sourp Magar from decay to revival. We have a solid plan, growing momentum, and strong public awareness, but we must act swiftly to raise the required amount before the 31st July 2026 deadline set by the Project Manager,” the head of the Armenian Church in Cyprus added. “Restoring this monastery will bring the ethnic and religious communities in Cyprus (Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot, Maronite, Armenian and Latins) closer together by emphasising the shared history on the island. It will have a positive impact for religious freedom, cultural tourism, and inter-communal dialogue, something which is much needed in today’s world,” said Vartkes Mahdessian, Armenian Representative in parliament. Zartarian added that even the original caves used by Coptic hermits in the 12th century, before the property was abandoned and handed over to the Armenians in the early 15th century, after which it was developed as a monastery, are at risk of decay. In his a presentation entitled ‘Stones That Never Forget’, Zartarian concluded with a passionate call for contributions and support from the Armenian community and diaspora, from the wider Cypriot society and from international agencies to #savesourpmagar in memory of the monks and pilgrims, who for centuries prayed and lit candles in this sacred monastery. Feasibility study The bi-communal TCCH and UNDP Cyprus prepared a feasibility study in 2018, and emergency works started in early 2020, with site clearance and preparations for shoring up of some collapsing sections. However, due to the Covid pandemic and contractual disagreements, by mid-2020 the project was put on hold, with no work done on the site since then. Detailed architectural plans and proposed phases of restoration were prepared by Andreas Lordos back in 2018, while Dr. Mehmetcan Soyluoğlu, a researcher at the Cyprus Institute, has recently conducted a 3-D imaging of the entire monastery and its surrounding buildings. During his research, Soyluoğlu also made new discoveries, that the wood used throughout most of the monastery’s buildings were from cypress and pine trees chopped from the surrounding Halefka forest. He also revealed that following dendroarchaeological studies, the wood used in the monastery is confirmed as dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries, the years that Armenians took over the property and built the monastery, the priory, church, and rooms for visitors, used mainly in summers, including students and scouts from the Melkonian school for their summer camps. Annual pilgrimages resumed in 2007, thanks to the efforts of Representative Mahdessian, who used the annual feast of Saint Magar (Makarius), celebrated the first Sunday of May, to invite diplomats and aid agencies to raise awareness about the plight of the monastery. These pilgrimages lasted for about a decade, with ‘investors’ from the Turkish side eyeing the property for commercial development as a mountain resort, creating obstacles and complicating the bi-communal political and reconciliation efforts. After ten years, the pilgrimage planned for this Sunday, May 10, was initially permitted, only to be recalled by the Turkish Cypriot authorities. “We had received an OK from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who, in turn, had applied to the United Nations, that the Turkish Cypriots had said OK to the pilgrimage,” said Vahan Aynedjian, Chairman of the Diocesan Council of the Armenian Orthodox Church of Cyprus. “We received a phone call and a letter from the Ministry, who received a letter from the United Nations, informing them that although, at first, the Turkish Cypriots responded favourably, that … the information came as a clerical error from the Turkish side, and the Turkish Cypriots did not respond favourably to the request. Therefore, the pilgrimage, regretfully, cannot take place.” The Prelature later announced that, instead, a visit has been permitted to the Sourp Asdvadzadzin church in occupied Nicosia on Sunday, May 10, where a brief service will be allowed at 11.30. The post Appeal for restoration of decaying centuries-old monastery appeared first on Financial Mirror.